


the deepest and most tender place

by kenmaniacc



Series: take me behind every curtain of your heart [5]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Angst, Canon Compliant, M/M, Minor Kyouhaba - Freeform, Romance, briefest mention of makki and matsun, drunk iwa-chan is the most sincere iwa-chan, farewell party, or at least the closest I could managed to that, proposal???, the setter/hitter romance is passed to the next generation, use of alcohol
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-12
Updated: 2020-08-12
Packaged: 2021-03-05 22:02:31
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,912
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25852570
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kenmaniacc/pseuds/kenmaniacc
Summary: yahaba’s alcohol induced laughter rings on his ears as his eyes dart across the room, mingling with the other voices and sounds in the restaurant. he catches the way the new setter and captain leans against kyotani’s shoulder and how, despite the grimace on his face, the later lets him.it occurs to tooru, not for the first time, that they are really alike, kyotani and iwa-chan — but so are tooru and yahaba.
Relationships: Iwaizumi Hajime/Oikawa Tooru, Kyoutani Kentarou/Yahaba Shigeru
Series: take me behind every curtain of your heart [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1874338
Comments: 8
Kudos: 107





	the deepest and most tender place

**Author's Note:**

> hello, everyone!!  
> so, this is the last part of this tumblr prompts series and we are closing it with my favorite boys. have fun!!

  
  
yahaba’s alcohol induced laughter rings on his ears as his eyes dart across the room, mingling with the other voices and sounds in the restaurant. he catches the way the new setter and captain leans against kyotani’s shoulder and how, despite the grimace on his face, the later lets him.

it occurs to tooru, not for the first time, that they are really alike, kyotani and iwa-chan — but so are tooru and yahaba. 

oikawa has for years sharpened his eyes and pruned his senses until reaching the point he is in now, capable of catching the most minimal nuances of one’s behavior, like a very nosy scavenger searching for clues of past, present and future — iwa-chan always says it’s too nice of a comparison, and that he is more like a worm in your brain, going where it shouldn’t.

just  _ rude_, really.

but the thing is: oikawa can’t help but notice things. notice how shigeru’s eyes dart to kyotani’s here and then, searching without even noticing probably, filled with curiosity andmirth and a challenge that kentarou seems more than capable to take on. he also notices how kyotani’s brown eyes, flickering with a touch of gold, hold a coyness as he stares back at yahaba, a touch of color on his cheeks, almost imperceptible, fingers that twitch over his glass of water as if he wished to be holding something else —  _ someone else._

the words that linger in the air but never take form make it all almost unbearable, warmness and frustration constricting tooru’s chest to the point that he has to look away as he shifts, uncomfortable. it’s  _ too private,_ not a display for his prying eyes or enjoyment.

silently, in the middle of the party, he prays for the fulfillment of unrequited and reciprocal love, as both hold their challenges. he prays for people to be  _ brave_, himself included.

shame tooru is mostly a wimp to matters of the heart.

“ _you are annoying as fuck_.” to say he wasn’t expecting to hear that is an understatement. the drag of the other’s voice is too close, startling oikawa, but he doesn’t dare to buck away.

he can  _ feel,_ you see. feel iwaizumi’s breathe brushing at the short strands of his hair and ear, warm and perfect as it is the low register of his voice. he doesn’t know why he didn’t notice before, how close they were, but now he is aware of it on a cellular level.

hajime is a solid presence at his side, a bulk form that envelops him — restaurant, people, all sounds and things forgotten or blurred because the sake made his blood hot and he could feel the sensation spread all over his face and limbs like wildfire, to the point of being dizzy. because he is staring at him.

with his cute tsundere manners, brow furrowed in annoyance but softness in his eyes, hajime is  _ staring at him _ and he doesn’t want him to ever stop.

“did you hear me?” he asks, impatient, a pout almost taking shape on well known lips as iwaizumi leans a little bit close, just a  _ little bit _ that is enough to make tooru blush harder under the scrutiny — he wonders if hajime would kiss him here. “i said you are annoying as fuck. i thought you’re gonna keep staring the whole night.” 

the grimace doesn’t easy itself from his features, tooru notices, heart pounding like a newborn bird, incapable of staying still. it takes a minute to fully understand what he is saying. when he does, an indignant squeak leaves the setter’s lips, because honestly, can iwaizumi give him a break?!

“iwa-chan! it’s not my fault they are like that, I couldn’t completely avoid it!” and as soon as the words leave his mouth he ponders that maybe that’s exactly how makki and matsun felt with iwaizumi and him before iwa-chan finally kissed tooru and got it all over with.

he remembers distinctly that he gave both of them hell when he told the good news, because they weren’t surprised at all and would still make the most outrageous jokes. they had, however, the decency of never interfere or pry into it (that tooru had noticed), so now he felt a bit of a dick for staring so much at another couple ( _t_ _ o be _ , hopefully sooner than later).

for the unimpressed expression on iwaizumi’s face, he was thinking precisely the same thing, and acting like he was much better, which wouldn’t do.

“what is that face for? you are one to talk, what were you staring at anyway?” he barked on a childish lilt, crossing his arms petulantly just  _ because._

obviously, though, iwaizumi already had the upper hand. 

“ _y_ _ou_.” he muttered, as if he was talking about something as simple as the weather, tooru’s brain a white canvas for a second as that urge, that  need so intense to touch and be closer shook his core.

how dare he, after all?

“y-you can’t say stuff like that, you know.” he whined, face up in flames, even ears red as hajime smiled at him the most beautiful crooked smile, like he was worthy of all that and more. tooru was utterly amazed of how manly and cute his boyfriend still could be.

tooru liked to think he was beautiful and the prettiest of them both, but hajime? hajime could conquer an army with that soft, small and private smile on its own — _ and it was there for tooru to see._

he was selfish, he wasn’t afraid to say it. he wanted to keep it from the world and be the only keeper of that smile forever.

an unintelligent mumble left his mouth and apparently that was exactly what iwaizumi wanted, because the gorilla laughed. he laughed and got closer, big jumbo forehead touching oikawa’s shoulder and filling his being with a familiar weight that he needed daily, as much as he needed air.

he would have to learn to live without that for a little bit, though.

the thought stung, severely.

as if sensing it, iwaizumi started to talk again.

“you are annoying, stubborn as a mule, never knows when to stop and think holding grudges is like keeping treasures, which means that between the both of us you are the one who is gonna age the quickest.” and at that tooru gasped, not even all the adoration in the world making him capable of accepting that. but before he could even speak, before he could retort, there it was, under the table, iwaizumi’s hand on his. “ _but _ ....” he paused, thoughtful, drunk, solid.

“ _but it’s you_. ”

iwa-chan traced the lines of calluses and other marks so lightly one would think he was outlining shreds of glass that could cut him if he put too much pressure on, or a masterpiece that he was afraid to ruin. it made something buzz under tooru’s skin and his eyes sting, knowing that iwaizumi was cementing it all in his memory, taking mental pictures, trying to capture sensations and put into boxes to stock it all in his mind. because tooru was leaving to argentina in a couple of days and this, any of this, would be impossible.

it weighted on him like an elephant sitting on his chest, that for all the laughter and the booze, it was still _ his farewell party._

tooru had to swallow hard not to cry at the spot, grasping at hajime’s hand with urgency and strength and  fear because what if it all changed between them? what if he forgot his touch?  _what if they broke apart_? 

he opened his mouth to say as much, but iwaizumi was faster. he clutched back at him and pulled both of them up with amazing expertise for someone who had managed to chug down a bunch of beer, taking them outside. he thought he heard someone calling their names, but nobody came after them.

nobody came and then it was just iwaizumi and him, hugging outside the izakaya. hajime tight, solid,  _ his._

“ _ marry me, please. _ ” 

and the world stopped.

“ **WHAT**?” it was unmistakable but even with everything pretty hard to believe. the shock was obvious at his mouth hanging open and with iwaizumi’s laughter, he knew it hadn’t being a fruit of his desperate imagination, but  real.

real words, with a real and very inebriated iwa-chan smiling big like a kid, so big that his eyes closed and tooru just _lost it_.

he lost it all, because it was real and he was  _ leaving _ and he was so in love it hurt and made it very hard to breathe and to cry, because yes, now he was crying. profusely, like and idiot who had no control, when he had a _lot_ , thank you very much.

“what am i gonna do with you, tooru?” hajime said in that hajime soft tone that turned his insides mushy as he cradled his face against the crook of his neck, size difference be damned, and tooru  _ mumbled _ and tooru  _ cried_. 

he cried as hajime rubbed soothing circles at his back, he cried as everything that he was trying so hard to ignore cane to the surface because of hajime and his stupid drunk declaration. he cried even as he decided to start talking again, caging himself in between iwaizumi’s arms.

“y-you!! i-iwa-chan you are so mean to me, so mean… h-how can you ask me that now? I-i am leaving that is n-not… it’s not _fair_!!” a sigh was an answer, more back rubbing, a kiss at his hair line.

then another, and _another_. then hands taking his face and making him stare at those wild greens as if they were the only thing keeping him alive, even when hajime snorted at him and started to try and clean his cheeks with his thumbs.

“you are the ugliest crier, honestly…” his voice was soft and sweet and tooru didn’t do more than twist his lips and groan in pure frustration, ready to stick his face right back at the other’s neck, but iwaizumi didn’t let him.

he kept holding his face. firm, gentle,  _ steady._

“i am not.. saying  _ now_. but i am saying…” and as tooru blinked more tears, even with everything blurred, he saw hajime twist his lips as warmth got to his cheeks just a bit, voice serious and actions caring — if he wasn’t holding him, oikawa would certainly fall. “i am saying that… i know what I need, and that it won’t change. not even in years, not even if you are away, so…  _ when you comeback, marry me_. okay?” 

“... okay.” he said, barely a whisper.

“okay?”

“ _yes_ , please, _okay_.” and at that, at the second time, with emotions flooding him and all he too tried to be solid and steady.

because it was impossible to say anything else than a yes to stoic, silly, drunk hajime that smiled at him like that, that  _ touched _ him like that,  that _loved_ him like that; all shades of grump and perfect and  knowing.

because tooru didn’t say a thing, and still, he knew. 

hugging him, outside the izakaya, his “what ifs” melted away. in a couple of minutes makki and matsun and maybe everybody else would come and whistle and annoy them, he was sure. maybe hajime would even flip them off, maybe he would smile and laugh and baffle everyone with how beautiful he was. but it was okay.

this wasn’t the last time.

it would all always be okay. 

**Author's Note:**

> for me the biggest thing here is that the proposal is merely a reaffirmation of what they already know, and tooru’s insecurities made him forget. either way, i hope y’all enjoyed reading it (:
> 
> come yell haikyuu with me at @kenmaniacc! also, thank you kaat for the prompt! 🌻


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